How Buster Posey's Retirement Could Lead the Giants in the Right Direction

After 12 years in the MLB, Buster Posey has announced his retirement at the age of 34. The Giants catcher won an MVP in 2012, with being an All Star 7 times throughout his career. Posey also has won 4 Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, but Posey could win the Silver Slugger as well in 2021. In his brilliant career, Posey spent all 12 years with the San Francisco Giants while winning 3 World Series (2010, 2012, 2014).

The Future for the Catcher Position

Buster Posey was scheduled to make around 22 million dollars in the 2022 season, but now the Giants don't need to pay the contract. The Giants second ranked prospect, according to MLB.com, Joey Bart, will probably get the call to be the new catcher. Bart was the backup catcher for Tyler Heinemen in 2020, since Posey opted out due to Covid and Injuries, so he has had some major league experience. In the 33 games Bart played in the 2020 season, he had 111 plate appearances, .233 batting average, 0 homeruns, 7 rbis, and a 609 ops with an 68 ops+. Bart's numbers weren't very good last year, but he is still very young and was his first major league season.

How Could This Help the Giants?

Although Posey had an outstanding 2021, who knows how much longer he could have kept his success up. Posey is getting older, and for someone who has only played catcher, those 12 years can really tire your body out. Now, with the Giants avoiding the 22 million dollars, they can now have their bright, young, and talented, catcher prospect get the spotlight. The Giants have Bart on his rookie contract, so he will not be near the cost of Posey's 22 million dollar deal they were previously going to pay him. Joey Bart is 24 years old, and had a very promising year at Sacramento (Triple A), therefore, giving him the chance to be your next catcher could be very good for the Giants.

A Great Career for Posey!

Buster Posey has had an amazing career, and has a chance to have a plaque in CoopersTown one day. Posey played his whole career in the Bay Area and was one of the most loved players in the MLB for over a decade. Posey has always been a very humble, and a good person, so seeing him retire has saddened the league.

-Baseball Page